#fungus scifi

[hezzabeth]

Revati stormed out into the hot, heavy darkness. Everything was quiet and still, the dead hair dryer was smoking. In the distance, someone was singing. Revati walked towards it, her feet stumbling over tree roots. Bridgadeiro Bun was sitting next to a tree.

"I told you to wait at camp," Revati gently scolded him.

"I got bored! Are you ready to go? Mama hates it when I'm late for Apple day Dinner," Bridgadeiro taking her hand.

It was a new vibrant gesture.

One that for a long time Revati never dared wished for.

A gesture that began a few short months ago with a dance.

Bridgadeiro's eyes suddenly widened with surprise and he gasped. A thick plastic cord had sprung from the feel, wrapping itself around his neck.

Three hair dryers remained, and Revati had one more to confront.

"Will you please just let him go? I have a weapon," Revati addressed the darkness.

An older hair dryer appeared, its black cord attached to its base.

"You humans killed my husband, the least I can do is kill yours," the hair dryer said in a lady's voice. Strictly speaking, the appliances didn't actually need electric cords or genders, or spouses for that matter. For a species that despises humans, they did seem to copy them quite a bit.

"He's not my husband!" Revati pointed out. In truth, she wasn't sure what Bridgadeiro was. When she said goodbye to him four years ago at the end of an empty train ride, she was sure she'd never see him again. But then a week or so later, he appeared "just to check up on his tent." This happened quite often, no matter where Revati went. When he wasn't visiting, he sent messages to Revati's bangle, photos of random things he had spotted, such as a butterfly on a garbage bin, sincere questions about what she was up to. Every year, Revati put her foot down and insisted on traveling back to Olde Landon for Diwali, and every year for three years running, Bridgadeiro Bun was waiting at the gates.

One year he had actually, much to everyone's horror, brought the infamous ex-girlfriend, Margarine. She was a short and extraordinarily pretty girl with freckles and Snow White hair. Whenever she stood next to Bridgadeiro, she clung to his arm in a way that showed off her cleavage. They stayed for the entire two-week festival. Margarine kept exclaiming over how "adorable" everything was while also bragging about her family's "modern living orb." She insisted on sleeping with Bridgadeiro in the greenhouse but complained the next morning about how the soil bags hurt her back. It seemed like she was obsessed with getting every single resident's name wrong. Needless to say, everyone was happy when Bridgadeiro arrived alone the next year.

"Then you don't care if I kill him?" the hair dryer asked.

"Of course I care!" Revati protested. Last Diwali, during Lakshmi Pujan, Bridgadeiro had helped her walk up and down Baker Street, handing out firecrackers to all the residents.

"I can't believe you brought these all the way from your space station!" Revati remarked.

"Well, your Nanni said last year she missed being able to say goodbye to your ancestors properly," he said with a small shrug.

"You're far too helpful! Look at everything you've done," Revati remarked, gesturing about. The plants Bridgadeiro had grown on Baker Street were still thriving. Several of Dusk's students were picking winter berries.

"It's not that much, and it's the least I can do," he replied.

"You repaid me for saving your life a long time ago," Revati said, glancing toward him. They were standing so close together their hands were almost touching. When Revati turned her head toward him, she briefly felt one of his cotton candy curls brush against her cheek.

"Oh no, I do all these things because I like you," he replied. The space between them was very close. In the distance, Revati could hear the whoosh and bang of firecrackers.

Revati swung the mace with a practiced, perfect motion, slamming it into the hair dryer. The air filled with beautiful bright sunlight, and the hair dryer collapsed. Bridgadeiro fell to the ground, still gasping desperately.

"Did you... have to kill her?" Bridgadeiro gasped.

"She's an AI machine; they're probably uploading her brain into a new dishwasher as we speak," Revati reassured him.

There was a clanking sound, and the android appeared.

"Good evening, your majesty," Bridgadeiro wheezed.

"I thought you told your pet clown to wait at the tent," the android remarked coldly as Revati helped Bridgadeiro up.

"He got bored," Revati said as Bridgadeiro brushed down the front of his blue-checked shirt.

"No real harm done! Do you want to head back to the tent to get your luggage?" Bridgadeiro asked Revati, who nodded as something twisted in her stomach. Nerves.

In the year 3556, there were exactly four hundred and eighty-seven major religions across the solar system. There were the old classics such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. There were the meta religions such as the Lovecraftians who worshiped fictional kings in yellow. There were the cults that worshiped objects such as carrots and shoes. Then there were the historical figure faiths. The Church of Dollyhart. The Temple of Sweet Baby Elvis. One of the largest historical religions was, of course, "Goupism," or as Nanni called it, "That parasite cult."

As far as Revati could tell, Goupism centered around a beautiful lady who long ago stole hundreds of ideologies. Of course, "Goupers" didn't call it that. They called it "mindful integration."

Bridgadeiro wasn't a religious nut. He didn't force people to wear nothing but an assigned color. He also didn't spray people with "psychic vampire" spray. He did, however, have faith. Faith wasn't something Revati really encountered.

"So, this holiday you're taking me to is to celebrate the existence of apples?" Revati confirmed as they stumbled upwards in the dark.

"Apples, ridiculous! In my court, we only attend festivals that are at least a thousand years old," the android remarked, its eyes lighting the way.

"It's to celebrate both apples and the goddess's daughter. It's about how such a simple universal fruit can be used to fulfill so many needs," Bridgadeiro explained to the android.

"I do like apple juice and apple pie," Revati conceded.

"Not to mention apple cider," Bridgadeiro added.

Up ahead, Bridgadeiro's tent shimmered in the dark. When Revati first heard about Bridgadeiro's tent, she was expecting an all-terrain raincoat propped up on a stick. Instead, the tent was a massive blood-red bioluminescent mushroom. As they approached the tent, Bridgadeiro gently pushed aside some of the fungus, creating a small opening. Once they were inside, the fungus sealed behind them. The inside of the tent was filled with sinister red light. A light Revati had long ago gotten used to.

"You know in my court, we have a massive Chocovale festival! We create an entire palace using only the finest Neptunian cocoa," the android declared as Revati grabbed her luggage. Her luggage consisted of a battered backpack stuffed to the top.

"That's nice," Revati replied. It was best to act as polite and dull as possible whenever the android went on one of her "court" rants.

"Never settle for apples when you can have chocolate, my dear," the android replied, and Revati smacked the android with the side of her bag.

"I thought we agreed when I signed my working contract that you would stay out of my personal life!" Revati snapped back.

Four years ago, Revati had been nothing more than an unpaid sidekick. Three years ago, however, when it became obvious that Dityaa did not want to be found, Revati almost went home. Then the android started doing something extraordinary. The android started paying her. Paying her to follow along, changing parts, and polishing metal as they traveled from city to city. Paying her to fight off bandits who were trying to steal the android's eyes. Sometimes it seemed like she paid Revati just to listen. Revati didn't want to think about being a ghost haunting an android for money.

"We did, but your personal life is interfering with your work! We are so close to finding Perdita! Closer than we've ever been! And you're running off to pick apples with your beau," the android snapped.

Revati glared at the android before grabbing Bridagdeiro by shirt and defiantly kissing him.

"My holiday break started twenty minutes ago! If I want to pick apples, I will pick apples," Revati spat back after letting a shocked Bridgadeiro go.

"We don't actually pick the apples on apple day; we did that two weeks ago," Bridgadeiro remarked, touching his lips and looking stunned.

"Really, Revati? You can do so much better than this! Once I find Perdita, I can find you a spouse that rules an entire moon," the android sighed, and Revati folded her arms.

"Maternity droid, open up battery-saving mode," Revati said.

"Don't you dare!" The android shrieked.

"Enter sleep mode until the battery is fully charged," Revati said, and the android slowly made a clicking sound as it powered down.

"Her battery won't start charging until the sun rises, and then we'll have ten hours," Revati said, pulling a small eye dropper out of her pants pocket. Carefully, she squeezed a drop of liquid onto the tent's walls, and they exploded in a cloud of glittery spores. Revati put the eye dropper away and pulled out a small plastic box, using it to scoop up some of the spores.

Revati was going to reluctantly miss the rainforest; it was nice being able to go out at night without freezing to death.

"You kissed me," Bridgadeiro stammered as Revati put the box away.

"I kissed you to prove a point," Revati replied, holding up a hand.

"The last time you did that, you said it was never going to happen again," Bridgadeiro replied, gently grabbing her hand.

Revati stared at it briefly, remembering last Diwali, the fireworks crackling in the sky, Bridgadeiro's hair smelling like lemon and spices.

"Because of Margarine! You kept breaking up and getting back together with her so many times it gave me psychic whiplash," Revati said, snatching her hand away.

"And I told you that night it was done," Bridgadeiro said gently. It was that same gentle voice that so many fell in love with. Everyone adored Bridgadeiro, the way people loved marshmallows and pillows.

"And I told you I'm nobody's second choice," Revati said firmly before scanning the dark, trying to find the track that eventually led to the forest's main town.

The sort of people who loved Revati were the crazy ones who loved ghost peppers and hardback chairs.

"You're not second! I invited you to Apple day," Bridgadeiro said as Revati began to walk down the path, leaving the sleeping android behind.

"Let's just keep going! The town is an hour's walk away," Revati replied.

"Can I hold your hand? You might slip in the dark," Bridgadeiro replied.

"Fine," Revati conceded. In the buzzing insect darkness, someone watched them go.

[fatihulusoy]

Greetings folks! Did somebody say fungus bots? its time to spore some trouble i guess :) ok it wasnt funny i get it.. Anyways meet with new fungus based biohybrid bot..

before i start to explain how its works lets take a look at its backstory shall we?

The idea was almost age old actually, experimentation of soft body robotics and bio robotics and today its reshape as we see biohybrid robotics with the search for more sustainable, self-healing, and biodegradable materials. Traditional robots are often made from synthetic materials and metals, which can be rigid, non-biodegradable, and challenging to repair. The researchers at Cornell University sought to overcome these limitations by integrating biological elements into robotic systems.

The team turned to mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, which has the unique ability to grow, self-repair, and biodegrade. Mycelium is also known for its strength and flexibility, making it an ideal candidate for use in soft robotics. By embedding mycelium within a network of sensors and actuators, the researchers created a biohybrid bot capable of sensing its environment and responding to stimuli, all while being environmentally friendly.

This fungus bot represents a significant step towards more sustainable robotics, demonstrating how living organisms can be harnessed to create innovative and eco-friendly technologies. The research also opens up possibilities for robots that can grow, adapt, and repair themselves in ways that conventional robots cannot, potentially revolutionizing fields such as environmental monitoring, agriculture, and even healthcare.

there is four actual elements that actually runs this bot besides of shell.

Fungus's Mycelium

Fungus's slug

UV light or UV array in the sun light

Electricity (it seperates as fungus related electrical pulse and electricity waves from censors)

firstly lets start with fungus mycelium: Mycelia are the underground vegetative part of mushrooms, and they have a number of advantages. They can grow in harsh conditions. They also have the ability to sense chemical and biological signals and respond to multiple inputs. so basically its neural system that transfers certain commands of activities between root and fungus itself

its slug is basically fungus's cell system or actual biohybrid organism it this case

once mycelium gets affected by UV lights it generates small electricity pulses to slug system and when slugs gets electrocuted by these pulses it acts like a muscle basically and it causes the slug to move or contract its muscles to activate.

and once you figure out how you gonna shape its muscle system and house them carefully you will have a "biohybrid robot" as their terms

the reason im taking this now is it reminded me "Fungus Baby Experiments" which is an inside name for series of projects that been continued for a while after corona until now.. Simply, the goal was to create or adapt an organism to thrive in different environments and make sure these environments livable by humans in the future by manipulating with artificial and external factors. Google it :)

anyways.. thats all from me this time..

until next time..

Sources:

for fungus baby experiments:

[pencilbrony]

Mushinoko real

[bob-the-seagull-king]

WITNESS THE REALMS BEYOND

Officially announcing the upcoming kickstarter for VISIONS UNVEILED - A Catalogue of the Collectively Conjured. This is a labour of love between me and some amazing artists and we're so excited to finally show it off. Find the pre-launch page below!!!!

Check out the pre-launch page and get a taste of what's going to be coming soon! Our campaign officially launches June 15th so be prepared!

Want to be notified, but don't have a kickstarter account? Join our mailing list to get all the information you need sent right to your inbox.

I'm so excited to have this finally out in the world, and want to thank everyone who supported me, most of all the amazing collaborators without which this wouldn't even be possible!!

@quinnred @crabdominalpain @spacemanmacchiato @lil-tachyon

[the-witchhunter]

Idea: fungal based computers

Mycelium aka the network of thread like filaments are a lot like nervous systems and connect and even transmit information through their systems. Like, there are actually spikes of electrical potential that gets transferred through the network and this is essentially the fungus “talking”

So in a scifi setting, what if people figured out how to cultivate a single strain of fungus, or perhaps discovered a strain of fungus on another planets and use that as biological computer system/network as

Do I necessarily think this would be entirely practical? Not really, but mushrooms are cool and I just think that could be fun to play with, especially if it’s a sentient or even sapient system that is learning since it’s essentially an artificial brain

And yes, the fungus can run DOOM

[feuer-in-soho]

The Mycelium Cube, an easy source of food to grow that requires minimal space and upkeep makes it a favorite with remote homesteaders. It is also valued by the city dwellers, stationers and spacers for these factors but also because it's easy to splice the base fungus with a psychedelic one, making it easy to grow large quantities of hallucinogens. That fact makes it a favorite with HORUS cells.

[mindblowingscience]

In the premiere of HBO's big budget video game adaption "The Last of Us," a scientist on a 1960s Dick Cavett-like talk show raises the idea that a fungal, not viral, infection will spell the end of humanity. On the surface, it's laughable, and the idea is met with bemused laughter by the host and audience.

But as the scientist explains his theory, the energy in the room slowly shifts from amusement to horror. All it would take is for one gene in a fungus to mutate and suddenly it "could become capable of burrowing into our brains taking control not of millions but billions of us," he says. "Billions of puppets with poisoned minds, permanently fixed on one unifying goal: to spread the infection to every last human alive by any means necessary."

The scientist goes on to say there are no treatments or cures for this kind of infection. There's only one possible conclusion: "We lose."

In the world of "The Last of Us," those words are prophetic. In 2003, a fungal infection ravages the world, turning humans into ravenous, mind-controlled zombies. HBO's latest hit, and the game that it's based on, might sound like pure science fiction, but it's actually based on real, horrifying science.

Continue Reading

[noxturnol]

lethal company oc (: they're a fungus infesting someone from the group that first encountered them. not inherently malicious (they think playing along with crews is fun) but hey if you're already dead what's a nibble between friends

[kodanshamanga]

NEW Kodansha Digital: 🦾Fungus and Iron, Volume 5🦾 By Ayaka Katayama 🍄There are just two other Birthmarks left to find. In search of a new ally, the team travels to the female ward inside the continent that was once Africa. Read via Kodansha

[simpsforscience]

🤔 While the concept of mind control by a fungus may seem like something out of a horror movie, ☠️ it's a very real phenomenon for ants of tropical forest ecosystems. 🐜🌳 Swipe through this post ➡️ to dive into the terrifying science-fiction like reality of the zombie-ant fungus. 🧟‍♀️🐜🧟‍♂️

[stealreserve211]

Digital collage

[stellarisjuice]

building a Stellaris Empire democratically: part 2

after over a week and not one, but TWO polls (because one of them was somehow a three-way tie between twelve options), it is done, and you selected Fungoids. Now, it's time to pick a portrait.

(and here's the wiki page, it has them all in full resolution, under Fungoids)

Unfortunately, there are 16 in total and Stellaris only lets me put 12 options in a poll, so I made a few... strategic omissions. sorry if you wanted to play as the penis guy but I Am Not Doing That.

(unless enough people pick the reject option and force me to make another goddamn poll. but that's fine, i guess.)

[pencilbrony]

Final day of the hammergoblin festival!

[brainypixel]

For today's Forth World Four alien, we're reaching into the depths of space to show you the fungal-based Peira! I definitely wouldn't want to see one of these guys at the end of a dark corridor.

Link for more info on FWF: https://brainypixel.com/fourth-world-four

Help fund the show by supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/brainypixel

[godofallthings]

Distorted image of a fungus based life-form discovered in outerspace… 🍄✨

[kirkendauhl-v2]

I love usernames with transitive and intransitive verbs, if your name is something like sexhaver or vaccinetaker it's automatically kinda funny especially when there's a visual gag with it